Supporters of India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) celebrate after India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following days of protests, in New Delhi on July 25. | REUTERS
Aug 3, 2026
SITAMARHI, India/NEW DELHI – Ashok Kumar knows that Narendra Modi changed his life for the better.
Ashok remembers, as a child, watching his farmer parents struggle to make ends meet — and how things changed after Modi became prime minister in 2014. His government expanded benefits like cheap cooking gas and direct farm subsidies, giving Ashok and his younger brother Abhishek hope for a better future. Their parents rewarded Modi with votes in three elections.
But last week, 25-year-old Ashok found himself demonstrating against Modi next to Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century astronomical observatory that anchors New Delhi’s main protest site. The protests were spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical movement that has become the voice of India’s young and disaffected.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
